Social, economic lenses affect perception of foes

In his May 1 letter, "Cape's partisan politics is turning people off," Patrick Wendell says, "A political culture is developing here where we no longer argue issues. We are simply fighting each other."

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Posted May. 8, 2014 at 2:00 AM
Updated May 13, 2014 at 12:20 AM

Posted May. 8, 2014 at 2:00 AM
Updated May 13, 2014 at 12:20 AM

» Social News

In his May 1 letter, "Cape's partisan politics is turning people off," Patrick Wendell says, "A political culture is developing here where we no longer argue issues. We are simply fighting each other."

A Yale social science class studied groups of people to identify whether scientists were credible experts on global warming, nuclear waste and gun control. Those interviewed largely favored the scientist whose conclusions matched their own values; the facts were irrelevant.

This behavior is called "selective perception" — the way otherwise rational people distort facts by putting them through a personal lens of social influences and wind up with a worldview that often alters reality. Selective perception affects all our beliefs, and it's a major stumbling block to accomplishment because our beliefs influence policy.

What divides us isn't issues at all. It's the social and political context that color how we see the issues. Take the Plymouth Nuclear Power Station, for example: We argue strongly against it, but in France the public couldn't care less. (America's power is 20 percent nuclear; France's is 80 percent).

There is no easy answer for gridlock, or contemptuous behavior. But if we understand our adversaries see us through very different social and economic lenses, life can be more accommodating.